Blank-centering device for glass-forming machines



:Oct. 20,1925. 1,557,850 R. LA FRANCE I BLANK CENTERING DEVICE FOR GLASS FORMING MACHINES" Filed May 2. 1923 2 Sheds-Sheet 1.

FIE-4 25 INVENTOR Oct. 20, 1925.

R LA FRANCE BLANK CE NTEHING DEVICE FOR GLASS FORMING MACHINES Filed May 2, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Patented Oct. 20, 392%.

pairs STATES PATE T OFFICE.

RICHARD LA FRANCE, or 'ronnno, omo, ASSIGNOR. TO THE ownns BOTTLE COMPANY, on TOLEDO, OHIO, A coaroRArIcN or OHIO.

IBLANK-CENTERING DEVICE FOR GLASS-FORMING- MACHINES.

Application filed May 2,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD LA FRANCE,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Blank-Centering Devices for Glass-Forming Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to 'automatic machines for blowing glass bottles or other hollow glass articles. It is customary in such machines to introduce each charge of glass into a combined blank mold and neck mold, in which a preliminary forming of the glass takes place. The blank mold is then opened, leaving the bare blank supported in the neck mold, after which a finishing mold is closed around the'blank and the latter blown therein to its finished form. The bare blank, which is soft and plastic, is sometimes thrown out of alignment, so that when the finishing mold closes, the blank is not accurately centered therein. This results in an uneven distribution of glass and other imperfections-in the finished ware.

An cbjiecz of the present invention is to provide a practical form of centering device to position the bare blank so that it will be accurately centered within the finishing mold when the latter closes.

Other: objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

In accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a part sectional elevation of a portion of a bottle blowing machine with my invention applied thereto. 1

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view showing the open finishing mold and. the centering device in engagement with a blank, the latter being shown in section.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of mechanism shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectionat the line IVIV on Figure 3.

Figures 5 to 9, inclusive, illustrate a modified form of the invention. Figure 5 is a plan view showing the mechanism for actuating the centering device. Figure 6 is a sectional elevation of such mechanism and appurtenant portions of the machine frame and carriage. Figure 7 is a fragmentary plan view on a larger scale of mechanism shown in Figure 5. Figure 8 1923. Serial No. 636,038.

is a section at the line VIII-VIII on Fig ure 7. Figure 9 is an end elevation of the mechanism shown in Figure 7.

The invention is herein shown as applied to an Owens type of suction gathering machine such as shown, for example, in the patent to La France, Number 1,185,687, patented June 6, 1916. The invention, however, is not limited in its use to this type of a machine.

Referring particularly to Figures 1, 2,

3 and 4, the machine comprises a stationary suspended from a neck mold 17 after the' blank mold is opened. After the blank mold opens, the finishing mold 12 is brought up to the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, directly beneath the neck mold andis then closed around the blank, after which air is supplied to blow the blank to its finished form. The finishin mold includes a mold bottom 18 removabl y supported in a holding plate 19. V

In machines of the type shown, there is a tendenc for the bare blanks 16, which are soft an plastic, to swing outward or away from the center of the machine as the carriage rotates. In order to counteract this tendency or to restore the blank to its normal position if it has been bent or thrown out of vertical alignment with the neck mold, I provide a centering device as will presently be described. An arm 21 is keyed to a rock shaft 22 journalled in bearing lu s 23 carried on the support 19. Adjustab y mounted in the upper end of the arm 21 is a forked centering piece 24adapted to engage the blank 16 near its lower end.

The movements of the arm 21 are controlled by a stationary cam 25 on which-runs a roll 26 carried by said arm. The cam 25 is attached by means of a pin 27 (Fig. 4) to the upper end of a. screwthreaded rod 28 adjustable vertically in a sleeve 29 formed on a stationary bracket 30 attached to the machine frame. The rod 28 is prevented from rotating by means of a key 31 in a vertical 'keyway formed in the rod.-- The .cam 25 is adjusted up or down by rotating.

a hand wheel 32 threaded on the rod.

The roll 26 is held against its cam by a' spring 33 attached to a pin 36 projectmg Each stop arm 21 is also lifted in turn by' the cam 25 to the position shown, whereby the centering head24 engages the blank to .mechanism shown in Figures 5 to- 9 is as hold it in a vertical. position or move itv inward to such position, if it has been thrown out of alignment. The-cam is so positioned that the roll 26 runs ofli' the cam and permits the centering arm to be withdrawn just before the finishing mold closes. so that the blank will be accurately centered in the mold. It will be understood that there is a separate centering device associated with each-fin I ishing mold, but that a single cam 25 serves for operating all of said devices.

The modified form of centering mechanism shown in Figures 5 to 9 will now be described. This mechanism is shown in connection with the same type of machine as indicated in Figures 1 to 4, said machine comprising the stationary frame 10 on which the mold carria e 41 is mounted for continuous rotation a out the stationary center column 42. The heads 13 which carry the finishing molds 12 are carried on arms 43 which swing about horizontal pivots 44 on the carriage.

A ring 45 mounted for oscillation on the center column 42, carries a v radially extending channel iron arm 46. At the outer end of this arm is a stem 47 attached to a slide block or plate 48 arranged to slide in a stationary arc-shaped guideway or track 49 at the outer end of a supporting plate 50 bolted to the frame 10. A slot 51 extending lengthwise of the track 49 accommodates the stem 47. The slide block 48 forms an integral part of an upright post or bracket 52, at the upper end of which is a horizontal arm 53 extending radially of the machine. Said arm forms a guideway in which a block 54 slides toward and from the center of the machine.-- Attached to'the block 54 is a' vertical rod 55 which carries a blank centering head 56. Said head is adjustable up and down on the rod to accommodate blanks of different lengths and is held in adjusted position by a set screw 57. The

slidin movements of the block 54 are controlle by a cam 58, on which runs a roll 59 on sald block. A spring 60 holds said roll in engagement with its cam. .The cam 58is supported on a bracket 61 at the outer end of the plate 50 and is adjusted radially of the machine by means of a stem 62 journalled in said bracket and having a threaded connection with the cam plate. The latter is secured in adjusted position by clamping "bolts 63..

The radial arm 46 is oscillated means of a cam 64 carried on a vertical shaft. 65 journalled; in the stationary frame. Said shaft and cam are continuously rotated by a pinion ,66 keyed to the shaft and running in mesh with a ring gear 67 .on the carriage 41. A, roll 68, carried by a block 69 fixed to the arm 46, runs in the cam groove of the cam 64. a

The operation of the blank centering follows: The mold carriage41 rotates continuously so that the ring gear 67 carried thereby imparts a continuous rotation to the pinion 66 about a stationary vertical axis The cam 64 is thus rotated about the axis of said pinion and moves the roll 68 which runs in the cam groove, toward and from said axis. A horizontal oscillatin movement is thereby imparted to the ra ial arm tact with the suspended blank .16 and cen-' back and ters it; The cam 58 is.so positioned and shaped that it permits the centering head I 56 to be withdrawn by its spring 60 just before the finishing mold 12 closes about the blank. The parts arc so proportioned that the centering head will advance at the same speed as .the blank while in engagement therewith. After the centering. head has advanced with a blank, it is withdrawn and-returned so as to advance with the next succeeding blank.

Various modifications maybe resorted to,

within\thc spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a glass blowing machine, the combination of means to suspend abl'ank-of plastic glass, a mold to enclose said blank, and a cen tering device separate from the mold and said suspending means, operable to engage thesuspended blank below'its point of suspension and center it with respect tothe mold.

2. In a glass forming machine, the combination of means to suspend a blank of plastic glass, a centering device, means to move said device transversely of the blank into engagement with the lower end thereof while the blank is suspended, and a mold to enclose said blank.

3. In a glass forming machine, the combination of a traveling carriage, means thereon to support a bare blank of plastic glass atone end, a positioning device arranged to engage the blank adjacent its u'nsupported end and counteract any tendency of the blank to be thrown out of normal po-' sition, automatic means to withdraw said device from the blank, and a mold to enprojected end of the bare blank .whilethev blank is held by said support andposition it with respect to said mold and to then withdraw said device, said mold operable to enclose the blank after said device has been withdrawn.

5. In a glass forming machine, the combinationof supporting means to engage one end of a blank of plastic glass and hold. it in a substantially vertical position with the bare blank projecting from'said supporting means, a positioning device, means to move saiddevice laterally into engagement with the bare blank. at a point remote from said supported end for positioning and holding the blank against lateral d1splacement, means to withdraw said devlce, and a mold to enclose the blank after said device has been withdrawn and while the blank'is held by said supporting means.

6. In a glass forming machine, the com'-' bination of means for holding a bare blank at one end thereof, a mold to enclose saidfi blank, and a mechanical positioning device separate from thcmold for engaging and centering the bare blank relative to the mold while the blank is held by sa1d holding means.

7. In a glass forming machine, the comport a bare blank at one end thereof,'-a positioning device, automatic means to move said device into and out of engagement'with the bare blank while the latter is supported in the neck mold, and a finishing mold to enclose the blank after said device has been withdrawn.

. 8. In a glass forming machine, the combination of a rotary mold carriage, a neck mold thereon from which a blank of glass is suspended, a centering device, automatic means to move said device laterall into engagement with the free end of the lank and return it to vertical position when it has been thrown out of such position, and a mold to enclose the blank after it has been 7 centered by said device.

9. In a glass forming machine, the combination of means to engage a blank of glass at one end and hold it in a vertical sition, asectional mold to surround the lank, a centering device movable between theseparated mold sections into position to center the blank with respect to the mold, and means to withdraw said centering de-. vice and permit the "mold sections to be brought together to enclose the blank.

bination of a mold carriage, a neck mold thereon bywhich bare blanks are supported, .a blow mold, a blank; centering device associated with the neck mold, and a stationary cam to actuate said centering device and cause it to engage and center the bare blank with respect to the mold.

.11. In a glass forming machine, the combination of a mold carriage, means to rotate it, neck molds thereon in which bare blanks 10. In a glass forming machine, the com are supported, a blank centering device,

means to cause said device to successively engage the blanks and center them, said means comprisin mechanism for advancing said device with the mold carriage while in engagement with a blank and then returning for cooperation with the next succeeding blank, and means for moving said device into and out of engagement with the 'blanks.

. 12. In a glass-forming machine, the combination of a rotary mold carria e, neck molds thereon from which bare b anks of glass. are-suspended, a blank centering device, an arm to which said device is connected, said arm mounted to oscillate about the axis of rotation of the mold carriage, a cam to actuate said arm, gearing between the cam and the mold carriage for rotating the .cam,- said i cam and gearing being so shaped andproportioned .that said arm is caused to advance with the mold carriage and cause the-centering device to advance with a blank, said arm being then returned cby'the cam and advanced with the next b a nk, said 'centeringdevice bein 'mounted for movement radially toward and from the center of the machine for moving'the centering device into and out of contact with the blank, and ,a stationary cam operable to effect said radial movements of the centering device.

Signed at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, this 30th day of April, 1923. I

RICHARD LA FRANCE. 

